NITDA Rallies Nigerians for Safer Cyberspace as Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026 Begins
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has launched the 2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, urging Nigerians, businesses and institutions to adopt stronger digital security practices amid the growing sophistication of cyber threats.
The month-long campaign, themed “Together for a Safer Cyberspace,” is designed to promote collective responsibility for protecting Nigeria’s increasingly digital economy and public services.
NITDA said the changing nature of digital technology means cybersecurity can no longer be left solely to information technology professionals, government agencies and security experts, stressing that every participant in the digital ecosystem has a role to play in keeping cyberspace safe.
According to the agency, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and automated systems has also transformed the cyber threat landscape, with emerging risks extending beyond conventional phishing attacks.
It identified AI-driven social engineering, deepfake impersonation, voice cloning and fraudulent QR-code attacks, commonly known as “quishing,” among the emerging threats requiring greater public awareness and vigilance.
To strengthen individual and organisational cyber resilience, NITDA advised Nigerians to adopt basic cyber hygiene measures, beginning with the use of strong and unique passwords for different accounts.
The agency also encouraged users to deploy multi-factor authentication on personal, professional and financial accounts as an additional layer of protection against unauthorised access.
NITDA urged individuals and organisations to regularly update their operating systems, applications and devices by promptly installing security patches designed to address known vulnerabilities.
It further warned Nigerians against disclosing sensitive financial information, including One-Time Passwords (OTPs), Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and online banking login details.
The agency also advised users to exercise caution when interacting with artificial intelligence tools and unfamiliar online platforms, particularly by avoiding the upload of sensitive personal, financial or proprietary corporate information into public AI models.
NITDA stressed the importance of verifying links, attachments and unsolicited requests for information before responding, particularly where such communications employ urgency, synthetic audio or deepfake imagery.
It also called for responsible social media use, noting that excessive disclosure of personal information online could provide material for targeted social engineering attacks.
The agency recommended that individuals and organisations maintain regular offline and cloud backups of critical data to facilitate recovery in cases of ransomware attacks, system failures or other disruptions.
NITDA said its computer emergency response structure remains committed to providing citizens and organisations with the tools, knowledge and frameworks required to prevent and mitigate digital threats, report cybersecurity incidents and support the development of a secure and inclusive digital economy.
As part of the awareness campaign, the agency encouraged Nigerians to follow its official social media platforms, @NITDANigeria, for cybersecurity updates, awareness tips and threat advisories.
For cybersecurity incident reporting and further inquiries, members of the public can contact the Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT.ng) through its website, www.cerrt.ng, email address [email protected], or telephone +234 817 877 4580.
The statement was signed by Mrs. Hadiza Umar fnipr, Director, Corporate Communications, NITDA.
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